50 Moments
by WinterJade
Summary: Because all of Fairy Tail knows that anything that takes someone's cloud away is fine, but some things are just too weird to explain in a few words. T for minor swearing and mentions of sex. LaxusXLucy, LaxLu, LaLu. I wouldn't consider it funny, but there might be a moment or two for you. 'Cause, you know. There's fifty of them.
1. 50 Moments

I'm sorry, Author Alert people. This is the fandom and pairing for me right now.

Rating: T, minor swearing and mentions of sex in a handful. My mind started going in the gutter around 40 or so, so I took to interspersing the last few in between the ones I'd already written.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or the characters. Enjoy!

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**#1 - Bandages**

Even though she certainly didn't like him injured, Lucy secretly loved when Laxus was in bandages. They made him look just too damn cute, especially when his face was wrapped. He just didn't appreciate the sentiment.

**#2 - Secrets**

She was really rather proud of herself, when, after several months of secret dating, Mira suggested (again) that she go out on a date with Natsu. If Mirajane, the matchmaking barmaid who had a habit of over analyzing everything into a romance, hadn't cottoned on, then Lucy was a better actor than she thought.

**#3 - Hair**

"No, really, how do you get it to _do_ that?" "It's natural, Lucy, just drop it already."

**#4 - Muscles**

Nearly every man in Fairy Tail had a well-developed body; she was used to seeing them half-or in Gray's case, completely-naked. But seeing that small black mark on muscles that she didn't even know existed, she would have sworn up, down, and sideways she had never seen a well-built man until she met him.

**#5 - Presence**

Everyone. Every single mage knew that he wasn't to be trusted again. So he couldn't figure out for the life of him why this hyper newbie wouldn't just leave him alone.

**#6 - Power**

Sometimes his sheer magical power left her breathless. He would say the same thing about her, but it's a different kind of strength and she wouldn't believe him anyway.

**#7 - Lost**

He has no sense of direction. She tries not to laugh, but assumes that the day Gajeel and Natsu found him, he was probably just lost.

**#8 - Age**

They would always drag age into their bickering. According to them, she was a baby and he was ancient. But it didn't matter, and they always, without fail, told each other that age was just a number, because that's what they believed at the end of the day.

**#9 - Forest**

The first time Laxus brought Lucy into his forest, she had no idea that it was a big deal for him. He never even brought his Raijinshuu there; it was his safe place, his haven.

**#10 - Window**

Laxus was the only one allowed through her window. He knew, because he electrified the outside. Her team soon learned to love doors.

**#11 - Jealousy**

She had no reason to hate Evergreen; it was obvious that the mage liked Elfman. But Lucy couldn't help it, because Ever knew Laxus when he was younger, and her first memory of him was when he told Cana to strip for him.

**#12 - Sentence**

There was something about that "This is for Lucy!" that worried him. He hadn't meant to go overkill.

**#13 - Sickening**

"Man, that's totally gross." "Then why do you keep watching, hothead?" "What did you just say to me, stripper?!" "Guys, go somewhere else if you're going to fight. We can't keep rebuilding the guild every time Laxus and Lucy hook up against a wall."

**#14 - Team**

Natsu never really minded that Laxus had basically stolen his partner. Well, okay, he did. But it was kind of hard to steal her back when she looked so damn happy.

**#15 - Self-Restraint**

It took everything Lucy had inside her not to go into the past again and talk to the teenaged Laxus. Especially when the Raijinshuu started sharing old stories. Plus, Erza hid the book, may she be cursed for all eternity.

**#16 - Support**

That was another thing she liked about Laxus; he always backed her up, even when, okay, maybe she shouldn't have cursed Erza and stolen her cake.

**#17 - Defense**

Lucy didn't care if she was weak and he was strong. She would defend him from Master and the rest of the guild until the end of time, because he had the heart of a true nakama, even if he wasn't just a nakama to her.

**#18 - Warmth**

Anger was white-hot like his lightning. Pride was a deep burning, and sadness a cold kind of numbness that spread. But this warm feeling, deep in his chest and low in his stomach...this could only be Lucy.

**#19 - His**

Walking home, bruises blooming on the pale skin of her neck, her clothes ripped to shreds, and the scent of Laxus on every inch her body, Lucy thought, _Let it never be said that dragon-slayers aren't possessive._

**#20 - Dragons**

He scared her when the scales appeared and his muscles bulged; Natsu and Gajeel didn't understand. She wasn't scared of him, she was scared _for_ him.

**#21 - Coat**

Lucy knew his coat was special. So she also knew to duck when the enemy _ripped_ his precious jacket, even though it was only on the arm and he never put his arms in the thing anyway.

**#22 - Edolas**

The morning Laxus found out about Edolas, he spent the rest of the day sulking (brooding, he called it) around the guild because he didn't have an Edolas half. That is, until Natsu started laughing and comparing his reaction to Gildarts, at which point he punched the Salamander into the ground and went home to sulk (brood) in private.

**#23 - Fashion (For Him)**

Lucy was very kind not to laugh at his choices in clothing, and instead said absolutely nothing. Even if she was dying to introduce him to the wonders of a shirt with sleeves.

**#24 - Rethink**

"On second thought, you should stay with the vests, but maybe lose the fur lining? It looks like your hair." Because she loved the slight view of his tattoo, a sight she wouldn't get to see if he wore sleeves.

**#25 - Clarity**

"You want know why Natsu doesn't sneak into your bed anymore? Because you. Are. Mine. Now. And even Salamander and Iron-Head know it."

**#26 - Pink**

If she was ever going to change the color of her guild mark, she knew she'd change it to a shade of blue that matched his eyes. But he won't let her, because he thinks it's so perfectly Lucy.

**#27 - Ambush**

Oftentimes, in the first month or so after they went public, Laxus would stroll into Fairy Tail, interrupt whatever she was doing, and attack her with a long kiss. He would then stroll just as casually back out of the guild, dodging whatever object she had on hand to throw.

**#28 - Fashion (For Her)**

He found Lucy's choice in clothes...irritating. Because she shouldn't be showing that much skin to the world. Because she worries about her clothes too much. Because they're too flimsy. And because her fashion choices make him want to throw her up against the nearest wall, but he can't, because it would ruin the mood to have the guild watching them.

**#29 - Ripped**

He also sort of loved her clothes, though, because at the end of the mission they were usually ripped to shreds, and then it was much easier to get them off her.

**#30 - Expression**

It was that annoying, insufferable smirk on his face. The reason she would drag him to the nearest floor, or alley, or bathroom, or tree. The only way to get that off him was to shock it off.

**#31 - Again**

"Oh, god, Lucy. Do that again. Please." Lucy never thought anyone would ever hear the great Laxus Dreyar beg. And no one but her ever will.

**#32 - Stopped**

There was a time when Lucy was turned to stone, unable to move. But that was nothing, compared to the first time he ever smiled at her.

**#33 - Memorize**

Early in their relationship, Lucy would simply stare at him. He never knew why, and he never asked, but Laxus had a deep suspicion she was doing the same thing he would do sometimes: committing every second to memory.

**#34 - Competition**

Laxus and Lucy have identical trophies in their bedrooms. Fairy Tail had a cooking contest, and well...they're not very good at losing.

**#35 - Senses**

"Shit, kid, can't you smell like something other than strawberries and vanilla?" "Well, old man, can't you taste like something other than cinnamon?"

**#36 - Spices**

He was still moping about it a week later. "Cinnamon? I seriously taste like cinnamon?" She consoled him by saying he smelled like a summer storm. He told her she tasted sweet.

**# 37 - Run**

When Lucy started talking about marriage, Laxus didn't even flinch, even if Macao and the other married mages told him to run. In his mind and Lucy's, they were just making it official and giving the guild a legitimate reason to party and get really, really drunk.

**#38 - Alcohol**

Laxus rarely drank- his power was too dangerous to cloud his judgment with cheap liquor. When he carried Lucy to the guild infirmary, barely alive from an S-Class mission, he didn't just get drunk, he got Fairy Tail-drunk, and passed out underneath a table.

**#39 - Kiss**

She told him that she trusted him with her life and with her heart. That was their first kiss, and Laxus still remembers it every time he looks at her.

**#40 - Hangover**

Even the horrible headache he had-after his tryst with the strongest stuff Mira had in stock-couldn't dim his happiness when Laxus heard she was going to live.

**#41 - Stares**

It was a good thing they didn't ask why the guild would stare at them so much. Laxus wouldn't take too kindly to the idea that they were scared by the smile on his face; a sight that was quickly becoming a common occurrence.

**#42 - Stupidity**

God forbid anyone should dare to try and attack an injured or recovering Laxus when Lucy was near. It only happened once. No one, not even Natsu, was ever so foolhardy as to try it again.

**#43 - Intelligence**

Laxus often marvelled at Lucy's brain. Sure, he could take out someone with a single blow. But could he find a single spot in a place he'd never been before, while a battle was raging, with a clue that wasn't even identified as a clue? Not really.

**#44 - Aphrodisiac**

To him, there's nothing more potent than a bold Lucy. The day she struts into the guild and casually sits on his lap is the day that everyone finds out they were dating. To his credit, he manages to wait about two minutes before he stands up, topples his chair, throws her over his shoulder and sprints back to his house because it's closer and he needs her _now_, dammit.

**#45 - Time**

It isn't until three days later that Laxus lets her out of his house long enough to return to the guild and answer to a squealing Levy, Mira, and Lisanna, a worried and theatening Natsu/Gray/Happy combo ready to pound Laxus to pieces, and a deadly-quiet Erza, who was sharpening her sword through all the questioning.

**#46 - Forget**

Lucy has never done this before, but when Laxus has his heated gaze and gentle hands on her and only her, she forgets to be nervous and leaves him awestruck.

**#47- Obvious**

He thought he made himself very clear that she was his. He only knew one way to make it clearer, so when Lucy looked like she was about to take that offer of a date from one of her fans, he pulled her to him and moved his mouth on hers until the only thing she could say was his name.

**#48 - Slow Death**

"Did you just...whimper?" "No, I didn't. Keep going." S-Class mages do not whine or make other weak sou- "Oh, you did it again!" "You're killing me here, Luce, you really are. Keep _going_!"

**#49 - Scar**

He doesn't know why this blonde girl finds his scar so interesting. He's had it since he was little, and he doesn't care about it. However, he does gain a new appreciation for it when she reaches up and tentatively strokes her thumb along the line.

**#50 - Idea**

It's on his way home from a long, difficult mission that he realizes he's not looking forward to a hot shower, so much as seeing her face. He buys the ring, a golden (lightning-colored, he smirks) band with a star-shaped diamond, in the next magic shop he sees, and then he goes ahead and buys the wedding bands there too, because he can.

The rings are magicked, of course, so he can always find her. God knows she gets in enough trouble for it to be necessary.

**+1 Extra - Romance**

When he reaches the guild hall, he wastes no time. Lucy stands in the middle of the guild hall and turns when she hears him. She drops her drink when she sees S-Class mage Laxus Dreyar on one knee, staring at her with a deadly serious look on his face, like he's never seen her before. He says, "Here." And puts the ring on her finger.

She always did love his own personal brand of romance.

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Author's Comments: Yeah, yeah. If you want to hate on the pairing, there's a response on my profile. I was originally going to do the challenge everybody else does. Y'know, 50 themes, 50 sentences? But I tried, and I just couldn't. I'm not capable of leaving things vague.-shrug-

The lost sense of direction, and probably a few others, were inspired by the other LaxusXLucy stories on . I would mention you by name, but I've read nearly every single one, and I don't remember for the life of me which is which. So if you read this and find an element of your story has showed up here, please message me or review, and I will write your name here and give you credit. I don't mean to steal anyone's thunder.

**REVIEWS ARE LOVE. I seriously love nothing more than reviews. Please, dear readers, review. Even if you just say yay! Or nay. I'm tough, I can take a naysayer. Literally, hah. Also review if you find any typos or grammar mistakes, because I hate them. So much.**

*The Dragon one, I mean to say she's scared for him 'cause if Laxus has to use that much power, chances are his opponent is crazy powerful and he's probably injured.

...God, I'm such a sappy romantic.


	2. Author's Update

Sorry, not a new chapter. Ah, my lovely, _lovely_, complimentary viewers. I love you guys so much right now, you know that? And to show how much I really, really, love you, I'm putting up a poll (if I can figure out how to do it) right now.

This is to tell you what I'm doing, as I'm assuming y'all don't check my profile. I am, indeed, working on a multi-chaptered LaxLu as we speak, and this was supposed to be a break from that. It might not be up for a while, because instead of winging it chapter by chapter, which ends up in me losing interest and putting my stories on hiatus, I've outlined the entire thing and am currently fleshing it out, doing the narration, the actual dialogue, etc etc.

I can't help giving out a hint, so I will say it's the whole "Laxus training Lucy" plot. It seemed easiest to start with, and after that I hope to get into all the cliché plots with this pairing. Secret dating, alcohol, spells gone crazy, maybe an adventure grow-together type romance if I really ever get the hang of this. And (dare to dream) maybe I'll come up with a plot that ISN'T cliche! One day.

Hopefully one day the rest of you will join me, because we NEED more LaxLu-ness.

So I hope you'll go on that poll, because I have lots of ideas and one of them is picking out certain moments from this one-shot and writing a chapter on them. Like, say you wanted me to expand on that cooking competition...I could do that. Your wish is my command, dear readers, so go answer that poll!

Except, I can't write detailed lemons, so if you want there to be details about Lucy on his lap, or a begging Laxus, I can't really help you. You'll have to do that on your own, and tell me so I can read! ^_^

Sorry for the inconvenience if you were hoping for another legitimate chapter.

~WinterJade.


	3. 1 - Bandages

Hello again, my fellow LaxLu fans. No, I haven't changed the title yet, so what you'll have to do when you want to find this story is browse the LaxLu stories, or search my name and go from there. I went with number one just to give you a taste of what an expansion of a moment would be like should you want it. I have no intention of ever going in order.

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**#1 – Bandages**

Even though she certainly didn't like him injured, Lucy secretly loved when Laxus was in bandages. They made him look just too damn cute, especially when his face was wrapped. He just didn't appreciate the sentiment.

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"Please hold still, Laxus-san. Doing this is difficult enough without a moving target."

It was the day after some other random attack on Fairy Tail. Sometimes it seemed to Lucy that everyone was out to get her guild, each threat stronger than the last. Everyone had chipped in to save the guild hall from being demolished-again. There may have been piles of debris and holes in the walls and destroyed tables and the smell of burnt wood permeating her clothes. If she was being honest with herself, the building was about one halfhearted Gray-Natsu fight away from total structural collapse. But it was still standing!

Though, if she really was going to be honest with herself, she was a little too bubbly for the situation.

"Laxus-san, please. Just one more minute!" Lucy smirked to herself. A lot of people had been injured in the battle. Natsu resembled a mummy again, and Gajeel, Erza, and Gray were all whining about the need for crutches. Nearly everyone had needed some type of help from Wendy and her healing skills.

"Okay, fine, Laxus-san. You can leave now." Wendy looked exhausted, and Lucy went up and hugged her.

"You're amazing, Wendy. Everyone's going to be fine now," The healer looked at the older girl, dazed,"You should really go to bed. I can finish bandaging for you."

"Oh, really? Thank you so much. Charla, let's go back to the dorm." Wendy quickly hugged her back and walked away, slumped over and yawning. Lucy had to hand it to the small Dragon Slayer; it wasn't everyone that could make the Fairy Tail members sit still long enough for a healing, never mind the actual magic part of it.

Especially the patient that had been Lucy's target when she offered to take over. If possible, Lucy's smirk appeared even wider when she turned to her fellow guildmate. She nearly laughed out loud at the man's glare from where he was sitting cross-legged on the ground, his back against a displaced stone.

"It's your own fault, you know," Lucy sighed as she grabbed the box of bandages, "this is what happens when you overextend yourself." Laxus grunted, probably in denial that he had any sort of limits.

She continued, "It was really brave, the way you took the blow, something meant to destroy all of us." Lucy herself had been right in front of the magic, larger and wider than any attack she'd seen before. She'd braced herself against the floor, shaking and looking back at her family, but it wasn't needed- there was a bang, and then Laxus had flown past her. Now Lucy looked up, and winced-there was still a Laxus-shaped dent in the wall above her. The man in question looked away from her, seemingly bored.

Lucy grabbed a washcloth, dipped it in a wooden bucket, and began cleaning the giant wound that covered the center of his torso, running from the hollow of his neck to his stomach. She tried to be gentle, but she could still feel him flinch when she dabbed the blood away. She muttered apologies and kept going, traveling up to his face.

"This won't leave a scar, but I'm still going to have to bandage it." Lucy said, poking at a nasty gash on his left cheek, "...and this one as well." She traced a shallow but long cut across his forehead. Judging by these injuries, this last bad guy had been vindictive as well as evil. They looked really painful.

Laxus finally looked at her. "It's a waste of bandages. I don't need wrapping up, I'm fine. " He made to stand up, but Lucy pushed very gently on his shoulder. His legs immediately gave out under him and he collapsed with a noisy thud back to the floor.

"If you can't even get past me, you're not in any condition to go walking around untreated," Lucy observed, amused, as he tried to get back up with no success. After a while, he gave up and settled his back against the stone, stretching out his legs and crossing his arms with a sullen look. Lucy very nearly laughed; if she didn't know any better, she'd say Laxus was pouting. Wendy had healed him enough that he didn't have to worry about dying, but he was still in bad shape.

"Fine, just bandage me and go away." Lucy bristled at his tone, all of her good mood draining away. She couldn't remember why she'd volunteered for this, and slapped the washcloth on his face with a little more force than necessary. Laxus glowered at her in retaliation.

"Idiot. You need me right now, you know. You can't even fix yourself." And it was true. His muscles were shaking from the strain of trying to get up, as much as he tried to hide it. Despite his murderous look, Lucy looked triumphant as she kneeled and pushed him forward to clean his back; his shirt had been obliterated in the middle of battle. She tried to ignore the tattoo that snaked over his collarbone and extended to his shoulder blade, even if she was curious. Now was not the time, not with an annoyed and injured lightning mage in front of her.

Laxus stayed quiet as she moved to his side and started wrapping him, obligingly lifting his arms when Lucy touched his elbows. Thankfully he hadn't sustained any serious injuries below his waist, or it could have become awkward. One strip of bandage over his pants and around the middle of his thigh took care of the single sword slash there.

Then Lucy moved to his face, gentle fingers tilting his head to get the best angle so she could wrap his head. Laxus still didn't say anything, watching her as her eyebrows furrowed in concentration, her expression otherwise blank. Lucy herself was inwardly sweating. She wasn't used to being stared at so carefully. Well, she was, but those kinds of stares were never directed at her face.

Increasingly uncomfortable and with a light blush emerging on her face, the girl smeared some kind of ointment Wendy had left her on his cheek, placed a wad of gauze on top, and taped it. Finally she sat back on her heels to admire her handiwork.

Laxus now looked much like he had at Fantasia so long ago, his entire torso wrapped neatly. With the one bandage on his leg and his face framed in bandages, Lucy had to admit it wasn't a bad look on him. Actually, she grinned to herself, this was what she'd signed up for. Wendy would never have bothered bandaging those cuts, she would have just healed him. The opportunity to see a wrapped Laxus had been much too rare to pass up.

"Why are you making that face?" Laxus asked, his voice low in his throat, pulling Lucy back to reality and away from her sparkling, beautified vision of him. Now he looked vaguely apprehensive at the look on her face. Startled into a reply, she told him the first thing she thought of. The truth.

"You look so...so _cute_." Lucy said, the maniacal grin turning to a soft smile. And then her eyes widened and she clapped her hands to her mouth. She had not meant to say that. Calling Laxus Dreyar cute...did she _want_ a death wish?

Laxus blinked. And blinked again, his own eyes just as wide as Lucy panicked and tried to backtrack.

"I mean, no, I didn't mean that! You're _not_ cute! Wait, I don't mean to insult you, you _are_ cute, but, _wait_, no, oh god..." Why wasn't he saying anything? Did she send him into shock? Was he plotting her demise?

When the injured man's hand moved, Lucy flinched on reflex, closing her eyes. Laxus saw this, paused, and then shakily stood.

"Girl, I am not cute." Lucy opened her eyes and decided if this was his response, she would probably be allowed to live if she voiced her opinion. She stood up as well.

"With your face all wrapped up, you are." Laxus paused, panting from the exertion of staying upright, and looked at her, wearing his best blank face. First she's angry, then she helps him. The she's scared of him, and one second later she's teasing him. Was she baiting him on purpose?

"I'm a male S-Class mage. I'm not cute under any circumstances. Powerful, yes. Dangerous, hell yes. But not cute." He disliked being called cute. It made him feel like a puppy, the kind with big sad eyes and a stump of a tail. Puppies were not threatening, or respected. But Lucy looked like she was about to go 'Awww!' at him at any moment. He put his hands on his knees, tired but determined to remain standing.

Lucy saw his eyes narrow at the very idea of cuteness and shifted her weight to come closer to his now bent form. Rolling her eyes at both his condition and attitude, she quickly slung his right arm over her shoulder before he could protest. He opened his mouth to do it anyway, but Lucy cut him off.

"We both know you can't walk, so don't give me that." Laxus closed his mouth and sent a semi-serious glare at the spirit mage, but the effect was ruined by the slight lift of his lips. This girl had guts, to talk to him that way after all he'd done, with all the power she knew he had. Or, he thought grudgingly, all the power he _would_ have, since he could barely lift his feet right now.

Lucy, meanwhile, grabbed his arm with her right hand, and wrapped her free arm around his waist.

"Right," Lucy huffed, "where we going?" Laxus waved his free arm in the general direction of the rest of the Fairy Tail mages, clustered together on a piece of undamaged floor. They were laughing and celebrating with mugs of various drinks, since most of them were too injured for alcohol. Lucy nodded, half-dragging him to the group. It was slow going, but she managed to sit him down with the others, between Natsu and Erza. All the other mages greeted them loudly, shoving mugs in their hands and asking questions from "Where's Wendy?" and "Lucy, what do you want to drink?" to "You guys were great!" and "Geez, Laxus, you look as bad as Natsu. You getting slow in your old age?"

That last one (from Bixlow) got a weak punch. No one was at full strength, or it would've been a lot harder.

Lucy laughed with her friends, occasionally looking at Laxus, still enjoying her handiwork. And if Laxus didn't like his face bandages, well, too bad.

He just didn't appreciate how completely adorable he looked.

As if hearing her thoughts, Laxus caught her eyes with his and glared magnificently. Lucy threw her head back and laughed while the rest of the guild looked back and forth between them, confused.

* * *

This was actually difficult to end and awkward to begin- I didn't quite know what to do, so I was just winging it. Sorry if it sounds odd at the start. My multi-chapter will be more developed than this and won't really sound the same because I'm planning and being careful with every inch of it. I'm not very happy with the dialogue, and I welcome criticism on this one, because I'm not sure I like it. I welcome it in general, too.

Read and review anyway, because reviews are love.


	4. 42 - Stupidity

-insert declaration of love for fans that the author can see is going to become routine here- Of course I'm going to continue these! I love when I can make someone fall in love with my favorite pairing. I have to be honest here – Lucy liking Laxus with his face wrapped up? -points to self and coughs- He's adorable. So here we go again!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail. I don't want to, because I could never draw like that. But I do wish I had some kind of blackmail against Mashima to force him to make LaxLu canon.

* * *

**#42 – Stupidity**

God forbid anyone should dare to try and attack an injured or recovering Laxus when Lucy was near. It only happened once. No one, not even Natsu, was every so foolhardy as to try it again.

* * *

Something was wrong.

The guild...was _quiet_.

And not the tired kind of quiet that comes from hangovers or little sleep. Not the happy, contented kind of quiet when there were no bad guys to worry about and all was well, either.

This was worse. This was a Fairy Tail _silence_.

No one greeted her when she entered. No one looked up, or even stirred. Natsu and Gray were sitting side by side, staring at the table in front of them. They weren't even eating. The woman got a bad feeling deep in her stomach, a chill that wouldn't go away. She realized what it was when she walked up to them and they didn't move a muscle.

Erza Scarlet, the famed Titania, was scared.

Erza turned on her heel, walked straight into Master's office, and slammed the door behind her. Nothing, so they weren't being quiet for her benefit. Fine, she'd get to the bottom of this anyway.

* * *

Everyone finally cleared to drink themselves silly, Fairy Tail's mood is bright again, and it's like the attack on the guild never happened. There's still a hole in the wall, and bandages are still present under people's clothes, but that doesn't stop the delighted mages from a good old-fashioned brawl or two. Lucy sighs, perching on a bar stool with her back to the merry-making. Aside from the occasional ducking needed to avoid a concussion via projectile furniture, she's honestly overjoyed to see everyone else so happy, and smiles into her drink. Mirajane smiles back at her, and swaps the empty glass of the man sitting next to Lucy for a full one. Laxus scowls at her, and swirls the liquid with his elbows on the bar.

"Enough of the water, Mira. Everyone else is drunk off their asses, so give me something stronger, already!" He sips the drink, and his expression deepens at the taste. He saved the guild, nearly dying in the process, and this is the thanks he gets? A glass of water and a babysitter?

"You're not healed yet, Laxus. You can't go around getting drunk and straining your body, or it'll never go back to normal." Said "babysitter" frowns at the man's attitude._ Geez,_ Lucy thinks, _Is this how he acts every time he gets injured?_ She's surprised he's even still alive, and all three mages duck to avoid a flying chair. They brush it off like it's nothing, and return to the conversation at hand.

"Master's and Wendy's orders, Laxus. No fighting, no missions, no training, no drinking," Mirajane recites again, smiling sympathetically when the injured mage uncharacteristically groans and thumps his forehead on the bar, water forgotten. _God, he's such a baby when he's hurt,_ Lucy smirks. She nods to Mira while Laxus is occupied. Mira smiles back, happy to help her friend convince the older man to stay healthy.

Disentangling himself from the guild-wide riot he'd just caused, Natsu walks over to Lucy and smiles at her.

"One fire-drink, please, Mira!" Lucy bonks him on the head when the barmaid turns around.

"Don't just walk away from your fight like it's nothing!" Natsu looks at the fight seriously, nods several times, and looks back at Lucy, his smile only brighter as Mira hands him his drink.

"What? It's awesome, they can manage without me for a few minutes!" Lucy sighs, copying Laxus's posture. She didn't understand how a guy so powerful could be so dense sometimes, she really, truly didn't. Natsu looks over at Laxus, as if just realizing he was there. "Oi, Laxus, fight me!"

Laxus looks up and looks as if he's about to agree, eyes sparkling and a smirk on his face. Lucy quickly glares at him until he sighs and drops the smirk. He declines, saying "Nah, can't. I still got all these bandages on me," and gesturing to his face, still wrapped in Lucy's bandages. Natsu ignores this and grins, his fangs showing.

"You're using excuses 'cause you're scared of me! You've fought with worse!" he declares, downing his drink. He lights his hands on fire and launches himself at Laxus before anyone could blink.

* * *

No one, at this point in the story, could really explain what happened next to the then-absent Erza, not even Lucy herself. One second Natsu was flying towards an unamused Laxus, and the next, Natsu was gone.

* * *

Fairy Tail mages once enjoying themselves in the brawl have been thrown to either side of the room. There's a Natsu-shaped hole in the doors. The fire dragon-slayer himself is nowhere to be seen. But aside from the hole, there's no damage. As one, the mages turn slowly and look towards the bar.

Mira is frozen with a smile still on her face. Laxus looks unable to move as well, with wide eyes and his body half-turned away from the bar. His coat had, at some point, fallen off his shoulders onto the floor.

He seems to take no notice because there in front of him is Lucy, her posture rigid, her eyes hard, every line of her body suggesting absolute anger. The dark aura radiating from her makes all the other mages take an involuntary step back.

Slowly, indifferently, Lucy sits back in her stool, and takes another sip of her drink. Mira unfreezes, sends Lucy a pained smile, and starts getting out the replacement mugs. Laxus is the last to move of the three. He bends down, grabs his coat off the floor, and swings it back around his shoulders. Mira gives him a new drink. It smells like alcohol, and the three agree, wordlessly, to pretend it never happened. Laxus takes a gulp of his prize with a soft smirk on his face.

The other mages, seeing Laxus relax, take that as the signal that it's safe to move. Some of them know what set Lucy off, but some don't and all of them shuffle around slowly, righting chairs and adjusting tables. They carry the debris into the garbage, mop up the spilled beer, and generally follow their usual after-riot routine, in silence. Everyone settles, and Natsu walks back in, sober and staring. He very carefully edges around the walls, staying as far away from Lucy and Laxus as possible, always sticking to the shadows. Eventually he comes to Gray, who gestures to the empty space on the bench next to him. Natsu sits down and rests his chin in both hands.

* * *

This is how Erza found her guildmates about half an hour later, treating Lucy and the bar as a ticking time-bomb, ready to explode at the slightest movement or sound. The red-haired mage realized it was fear, and not anything else, that led to the guild's strange atmosphere, and laughed. A few of the mages startled at the sound after so much quiet, and hunched further down into their seats. Lucy turned around on her stool and all of them hunched down farther, trying make themselves unnoticable. The blond mage smiled at Erza, seemingly oblivious to the reaction. Erza mirrored her expression.

"You've done well, Lucy." Erza bent a little, pat her on the back. The compliment sounded like a shout in the silence, even though she'd spoken very softly. The woman then turned, grabbed a mission, and showed it to Mira, who nodded. Erza left, struggling with the temptation not to laugh again, her footsteps echoing.

The silence couldn't last long. This was Fairy Tail, after all. But even as the brawl started up again, Mira observed with interest that the three mages at the bar no longer had to duck. The participants were very, very careful not to get anywhere near Laxus or the newest Fairy Tail female to be on the "Feared and Obeyed" list.

Lucy had returned immediately to her good mood, not noticing the the man next to her was drinking something he wasn't allowed to have. Laxus was just happy to get his liquor while his babysitter wasn't paying attention.

* * *

Well, that was fun. And kind of short. I think it was a little easier, a little less strange than Bandages. Less stressful, to be sure. If you don't think this moment is funny, imagine it as an anime episode. Picture all of the guild's faces after Lucy's anger issues. Picture Laxus's face. Picture Mira's face. Imagine the Natsu-shaped hole in the wall. I find that one image, all combined, hilarious in my head.

Review, as always. Love me some tasty reviews. Only, if you can, avoid the anonymous ones, please? I like to respond. Oh, and give me more moments. Just not the lemon moments, I beg of you. I know my weakness, and it's lemons. They are my downfall.


	5. 3 - Hair

Requested by CupCakesYummeh, who's awesome. I think I have drunken-ness on the brain, but I didn't plan it that way, CupCakes, I swear! Go read her stuff, people. Great LaxLu, and other pairings as well. Even if I'm not a personal StiLucy or RoLucy fan, she makes me one with some of her one-shots. I dunno if I've mentioned it, but she's awesome like that.

I don't own Fairy Tail.

I should warn you, there's slight NaLu if you want to read into it, but at one point (towards the middle), all ideas that this is anything but a LaxLu are banished. Banished, I say! So bear with me, kay?

* * *

**#3 – Hair**

"No, really, how do you get it to do that?" "It's natural, Lucy, just drop it."

* * *

"Lushy~" The mage in question looked up from writing, her pen in the middle of a sentence and her eyebrows furrowed, for the fourth time in about ten minutes.

"I know you're drunk, but still. Quit slurring my name." Lucy looked back down to her pages, trying to regain her train of thought. Her intoxicated partner, with a large amount of effort, managed to roll over onto his stomach and not fall off the table.

Lucy sighed about ten seconds later. She couldn't concentrate. It felt like someone was staring at her. She lifted her head, annoyed.

Natsu. Of course.

"I can't write when you're staring at me. Stop it," Lucy ordered. Natsu rested his chin on his crossed arms and stared harder, his face inches away. The spirit mage blushed from the scrutiny and tried to get back to her writing.

She couldn't, not with him looking at her like that. She sighed again, placed her manuscript very gently on the wooden bench next to her, and gave up. He clearly wouldn't leave her alone until this was sorted out.

"Okay, what?" Her drunk-as-a-skunk partner grinned.

"How much gel do you think he uses?"

"Who?" Lucy threw her gaze around the room. He could be talking about anyone. A lot of Fairy Tail guys – well, their hair just didn't seem natural like the girls'. There was no way they could get that look without some kind of styling, in her fashionable opinion. She knew her partner steamed his rosy locks with his magic.

"Laxus." Natsu moved his eyes to the side and rested his chin in his hands. They both looked at the lightning mage, who happened to be lounging alone in a shadowy corner of the guildhall. Lucy hadn't even noticed he was there.

"I don't know! Why is it important?!" She hissed at the drunk man in front of her, hoping he'd get the hint and lower his obnoxiously loud voice. Not unusual on its own, but he got louder with every drink, and she really didn't feel like attracting anybody's wrath today.

"You're not curious at all? Even after a battle, his hair is still like that," Natsu pondered, a rare serious look gracing his face. Lucy didn't like that look. Especially on Natsu. Especially on a _drunk_ Natsu.

"No, I think he had bangs when he was younger," Lucy said, to distract her devious partner. Actually, the teenaged Laxus had been kind of attractive, from what she remembered. Not that he wasn't attractive now. She stole a glance out of the corner of her eye. With his feet up on a table and his head tilted back, the Laxus of the present looked more relaxed than she'd ever seen him.

She turned more fully on her bench. His hair...Natsu was actually onto something. The man's hair was always, _always_ spiked back and up, except for a tuft in front, but it didn't look gelled. It actually looked like it'd be soft, if she ran her fingers through it.

Lucy shook her head emphatically. Was she seriously just thinking about running her hands through the lightning dragon-slayer's _hair_? The woman picked up her glass and sniffed it. There was no smell, so Natsu hadn't slipped her his shots in a drunken attempt to make her join him. Not that he would, but still. Lucy's mind turned back to Laxus, and her eyes followed. His eyes were closed, and he looked so peaceful, more than he ever did normally. Natsu cleared his throat. Lucy jumped, and glared.

"Lushy~ You should go ask him!" Natsu declared triumphantly, happy with his plan. The woman was not as overjoyed.

"Not a _chance_!" She said angrily, all attempts at quiet conversation forgotten.

"But Lushy~" Her idiot partner started.

"No." There was no way she was going to go over there and ask a man how he did his hair.

"Please?"

"No!" Particularly if said man was relaxing, for once. Natsu was going to have to live with the disappointment.

"Please~?"

"NO!" He wouldn't even remember this the next day.

Natsu pouted. Lucy lost. She sighed – again – and stood up, taking care not to knock over her manuscript. Very quietly, she walked over to Laxus's corner and sat down next to him. There was a moment or two of silence. Then he smirked, without opening his eyes.

"It's natural." Lucy looked over at him, unsurprised that he could sense her without looking. He was an S-Class mage, after all, and powerful beyond belief.

"How long?" She asked quietly, eyes still trained on his face.

"How did you know I used to have bangs?" he countered. He lifted a hand and ruffled the piece of hair that hung over his forehead.

"There was a book, one that sent Erza, Gray, Natsu and I into the past when they were small children. I saw you as a teenager." That rang a distant bell in his head. He made an amused sound.

"Really? Bunny girl?" Lucy shot a mild glare at him, not that it mattered. His eyes were still closed.

"Whatever. No one's hair is like that on its own." His smirk grew wider.

"Mine is."

"Right."

"Just drop it." He opened his eyes to look at her fully.

"I don't believe yo-" Lucy's words ended in a squeak when Laxus's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. Unbalanced, she fell half on top of him, her chest squashed against his and her left hand on his shoulder.

The dragon-slayer quickly slid his arm around her waist to steady her. He hadn't let go of her wrist, and now Lucy's right hand was tangled in his hair.

His blond, spiked, unbelievably _soft_ hair. Lucy stroked it, unthinking, marvelling at the distinct lack of product in it. He released her wrist. She repeated the motion, gentle and slow. Again. And again.

Laxus closed his eyes and said nothing, still holding her waist. No one in the guild could really see them, cloaked in the shadows as they were. Natsu had passed out on the table.

After a while, Lucy spoke, barely audible. "How does it stay like this, then?" Laxus laughed quietly, and Lucy's breath hitched. The sound was deep and low in his chest, making it rumble. Pressed together like they were, Lucy could feel it.

"My magic. The lightning in me makes it stand up, no matter what happens. The stronger I am, the harder it gets to keep it down."

"Uh-huh." She honestly didn't hear a word of that. His voice was deep, too, and she'd been too distracted by the sound and feel of his voice to pay attention to what he was actually saying. It was an oddly comforting thing, and Lucy suddenly wished that they were someplace private, so they could stay this way and she could listen to him talk some more.

Since they did happen to be in a public place, Lucy sighed and moved to stand up. Laxus grabbed her wrist again, almost frantic.

"No."

"No?" Lucy peered back at him. He was standing, his handsome features set in determintation.

"No," the lightning dragon-slayer said again, and tugged Lucy by her wrist out of the guild.

She protested his rough treatment the whole way. On the outside.

On the inside, she was wondering which house was closer – his, or hers. Lucy needed a long talk with this man and it was far overdue. She made a mental note to thank Natsu tomorrow, even if he was too drunk right now to remember what he'd set in motion.

* * *

You like? I do. I think this is my favorite, out of the three. The concept for Stupidity was funnier, but this ended up nicer.

They're getting shorter. Is this because I'm getting the hang of sounding more natural, or am I getting lazy?

CupCakes, your other is coming, too. Maybe after I revise my still-nameless multi (again) and write the second chapter. Review with the moment you want expanded or just review! If I run out of moments, you're all in deep trouble, because I'll stop updating this! -empty threats empty threats-

Really! Reviews! They be love! Even if you've already reviewed before, do it again! I need moments, or you get nothing else from me.

Edit: (FT_fannatic, I really wish you'd create an account or log in so I can respond. Laxus calls her bunny girl because, if I'm not mistaken, Erza dresses Lucy in a bunny costume in the OVA Memory Days so she wouldn't be recognized. Unless it was a cat costume and I got that totally wrong, in which case I'm sorry. Laxus is supposed to be remembering that day long ago and realizing that the girl from that day was actually Lucy.)

~JadeWinter.


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